What’s the Difference? Migraines and Sinus Infections

Stuck in an endless cycle of headaches and pain relievers? Time to get to the bottom of your symptoms.

Often, migraines are confused with sinus headaches. The two types of aches can both be tricky to tackle, but they need different courses of treatment that can — ultimately — help you find relief faster.

First, here’s what sinus headaches and migraines usually have in common:

Forehead pain (or general aches throughout the head)

Watery eyes

Pain that varies with movement

But migraines usually have a few extra symptoms, such as:

Sensitivity to light

Extra intolerance to sound

Pulsing or throbbing pain on one side of the head

Nausea

Vomiting

Studies have shown that in many cases, people who self-diagnose themselves with sinus headaches actually are dealing with migraines. In a large study with almost 30,000 participants, only about half the people who had migraines knew that they did. The most common misconception? An assumption of a “sinus headache.”

Sinus headaches are usually treated with:

OTC pain relievers

Decongestants

Antibiotics, if the sinus headache is due to a bacterial infection

Corticosteroids

Migraine treatments, on the other hand, generally are longer-term, since they focus on both treatment and prevention. Common approaches include:

Prescription drugs, such as triptans or medicines used for epilepsy, high blood pressure and other conditions

Botox injections

Hormone therapy

Stress-reduction therapy

Even with these guidelines, each case is unique. If you’re not sure how to deal with your headaches, give our NYC sinus center a call. We’ll discuss a personalized plan that suits your symptoms, situation and lifestyle.

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